What Trees Can Teach Us About God and His Kingdom — Part TwoSampel

Abundant trees on the new earth

Both the prophet Ezekiel and the apostle John received visions from God that reveal something of the future God has in store for his children. And these men wrote down what they saw. They lived centuries apart and in different countries when they saw these visions, but their accounts are remarkably similar (which is not surprising actually, since God’s plans don’t change).

Ezekiel and John tell about abundant trees bearing fruit and bringing healing. And both stress what is the source of this abundance and blessing: the living water flowing from the sanctuary respectively from God’s throne—which in the end is the same, since the sanctuary in Ezekiel’s vision is God’s dwelling place. This is not a new idea. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, already spoke about “the Lord, the fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 17:13, ESV).

God Himself is the ultimate source of life, joy and blessing. That is the essence of God’s kingdom: being in His presence forever. David wrote about this experience: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, ESV). In the brokenness of earthly life, this experience is always only partial. But foretasting the abundance and blessing that flow from God, makes us long all the more for the fullness of God’s kingdom.